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    Mohan Bhagwat’s speech vindicates RCEP stand: RSS affiliates

    Synopsis

    Sangh affiliates like Swadeshi Jagran Manch fear that countries like China, Australia and New Zealand will ruin businesses and create unemployment.

    sangh
    Ludhiana cycle industry representatives request SJM chief Ashwani Mahajan to convince govt against joining RCEP.
    NEW DELHI: Sangh Parivar affiliates opposed to India joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a proposed free trade zone of 10 south-east Asian nations and six big trading partners in the area, feel vindicated by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s Vijayadashami speech where he emphasised on upholding Swadeshi consciousness and steps to improve the economy by creating employment.

    BJP organisation general secretary BL Santosh had chaired a meeting of various stakeholders on the issue of India becoming a member of RCEP, which include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

    “Forgetting the Swadeshi consciousness, while seeking answers to the pressures of the situation, will also lead to loss… As per any yardstick, those who have the capacity to be selfreliant and provide employment for all in the country, keeping themselves secured, can only build and expand the international trade relations and offer a secure and healthy future for the entire humanity,” Bhagwat said.

    Emphasising on the need to “create and expand trade relations with the world on the basis of our strength and terms”, he said “we have to formulate our own economic vision keeping in mind our requirements, profile and condition of our people and our resources and potential to realise our national aspirations”.

    Sangh affiliates like Swadeshi Jagran Manch and bodies engaged in dairy, agriculture and manufacturing sectors like steel and telecom fear that countries like China, Australia and New Zealand will ruin these businesses and create unemployment. The matter was flagged during the meeting convened by Santosh and BJP spokesperson Gopal Agarwal on Monday evening.

    Those opposed to RCEP maintain that China would dump its goods in India and the steep fall in prices will impact the indigenous industry, leading to increasing unemployment and losses. Members representing the Ludhiana cycle industry got in touch with SJM chief Ashwani Mahajan on Tuesday and requested him to intervene and convince the government that it should not join RCEP.

    The meeting at BJP headquarters lasted around two hours and was attended by Amul India MD RS Sodhi, SJM members, academics, retired bureaucrats and representatives of PHDCCI and Ficci, among others.

    “What is the need for a trade agreement with China? Even without it and with tariff barriers in place, we face problems with so much dumping,” Mahajan told ET. He said several women from Gujarat who are engaged in dairy business have sent postcards to PM Modi against joining RCEP. However, at the meeting convened by BJP, some said RCEP would open a big market for India.



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